Funcom is thrilled to announce that the Early Access pre-launch period for The Secret World – the modern-day MMO of myths, legends and conspiracies – begins today. In the next few days leading up to launch on July 3rd everyone who has pre-ordered the game will get to explore a groundbreaking online world that MMORPG.com predicted “… is going to take the world by storm and set new standards for excellence in gameplay….” and which Videogamer.com heralded as “one of the most distinctive MMO’s of the last 10 years.”

Gamers eager to enter The Secret World during the four-day Early Access period can still do so simply by heading over to the official site and pre-ordering the game at any time before July 3rd.

The Secret World presents players with a modern-day alternate reality where all the myths, legends and conspiracies of our world are true, and where hellish monsters threaten real-world locations such as Transylvania, Egypt and New England. When first entering the game players must enlist in a secret society – the Illuminati, the Dragon or the Templars – and engage in a battle not only for the future of our world, but also for the power to control its governments and corporations to further their cause.

Here is what The CaveChild thought of The Secret World, based on of the game’s earlier Beta Access weekends:

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“To say that we are shaking things up is an understatement,” says Funcom SVP of Sales & Marketing Morten Larssen. “With The Secret World we are showing gamers as well as the gaming industry that MMOs can be taken into new, exciting directions and that innovation in this genre is definitely not dead. Judging from the fantastic feedback we have already received from hundreds of thousands of beta testers, innovation is clearly the way forward and Funcom is excited to be breaking new ground.”

The Secret World has been recognized widely for its new take on the MMO formula. Not only is it set in a unique modern-day setting, the game completely does away with confinements such as classes and levels. Storytelling is also taken to a whole new level and the game introduces engaging missions unlike anything seen before in MMOs. Public interest in the game has been formidable with 1.5 million gamers all over the world registered to beta test‘The Secret World’ prior to launch, breaking all previous Funcom records.

Media outlets such as G4TV, MMORPG and RockPaperShotgun have singled out The Secret World as one of the most anticipated games of 2012.

Funcom is also excited to announce that the game’s complete soundtrack – composed by Marc Canham and Simon Poole — is now available and can be purchased from outlets such as iTunes and Amazon.

The Secret World is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. The Secret World is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.